Additional particulars from "the Australian , California," in the papers of
this morning, cause anxieties for the fate of regular industry and legi- tiinate commerce_ in the mania for gold-searching. The ship Arbuthnot, Which brought home the news, was nearly left without a crew. Her captain, Mr. G. H. Heaton, promised his crew double wages, yet many of 'them left him. He got a steamer and towed himself down towards the heads, "and placed two armed policemen night and.day one at each end of the ship ; but still those that couldsvrim got off somehow." The cap- tain of the Lady Clark was left without a soul ; the men asking 801. for the run home and a guarantee of a ship to return. The Arbuthnot has brought home about 8001. worth of the gold. "It was purchased-on the spot (in fact, dug up before their eyes) four
in - gentlemen, managing partners of different mercantile firms dney. It
is all in lumps, nearly pure, the largest weight 41b. less 2 oz. When this was brought down there was a large amount at Bathurst waiting for a,mili- tory escort, which the people were in hopes thellovernment would allow to them. What we have on board was brought down, by four gentlemen, they being armed to the teeth." The Sydney Empire of the Td of Ione states that the editor knows of ten different parties, averaging six each party. "who have arranged to start for the diggings today." "If this emigration continue we shall soon be nothing more than a• city of ladies. Even now the effects are no- ticeable in the number of houses 'to let,' and the unusually large groups of the lovely portion of creation housing together, unseen by man's disturbing eye: The Empire gives a letter, dated the 29th May, from "a respectable Bathurst storekeeper" to his brother, "under circumstances giving its contents a more serious and important character than such private com- munications usually possess." His brothers had applied to him for cor- rect information to guide them in their determination as to joining him atthe mines.
"I was there [at the diggings] for a week, and got two ounces, worth 6/. 88. ; but I was more fortunate than many. It is all a lottery the getting of it, and worse than gambling. Isaw one msm dig outthirteen ounces, which I bought for 361.; and I saw at least one hundred who had not earned more than 5s. per day each. Everything is very high, and the work very labori- one ; having. to stand in the water the whole day washing the clay, to earn five shillings' worth of gold, at an expense of at least 2s. 6d. for provisions. As-the winter advances, I am sure it will kill man'; for the winter is Particularly severe in the mountains. I got quite sack of it after a day or two, when the excitement was over. I should strongly advise my brother-in-law to remain in Sydney, and not think of coming up on such a wild-goose ohase; and my most particular reasons for advising him thus are these. As yet the gold has been feund in the bed of a creek 12 yards wide and. 00. yards long. Below this spot or above it, it has only been found in very small particles, and very scarce, and would not pay for working ; it would not pay for a man's provisions. Now, there are con- gregated at this place at least 2000 people, and hundreds more are arriving daily. They have nearly dug up the whole of the creek already ; and in the course of a week more I am sure that there will not be a foot of ground un- worked within the space I speak of. It is a fact that no pieces of any size or any profitable place for working has been found out of this part of the creek. It is possible that plenty of gold will shortly be discovered elsewhere in this district ; but, if not so, weal the present diggings are exhausted, hundreds of miserable wretches will be sent back to Sydney starving. I would strongly advise Oliver to wait for another month and see what turns up; and in the mean time, should there be other diggings discovered which can be worked as profitably, or more so than these, I will immediately advise him to start. But as soon as this letter reaches you, or shortly afterwards, many people, who are now on their road back, will arrive in Sydney pounds out of pocket by their week's stay at the Bathurst diggings."
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